Code for America, in partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs, is excited to announce a new Incubator program, which will support Code for America fellows as they seek to turn their products into companies.
CfA’s longest standing program is an annual service-year Fellowship for developers, designers, and community managers, where they work hand-in-hand with city governments to identify and build new civic applications. As the 2012 Fellowship drew to a close this past November, three teams of fellows wanted to launch startups to scale their projects to more cities, non-profits, and institutions. These companies — Amplify Labs, Civic Industries, and Vox Metropolis – are now participating in our inaugural Incubator. Through a six-month intensive program, we are helping them transition to early-stage civic entrepreneurs as they develop their business strategy, hone their product, and acquire their first customers.
“Code for America is at the center of the civic technology ecosystem,” said Google’s John Lyman. “We’re excited to support their incubator because we believe it will help build a pipeline of new civic startups that can realize the potential of this market.”
This work builds on Code for America’s relationship with Google, which funded CfA’s 2012 programs, including the creation of the first ever civic start-up Accelerator. Chosen out of a staggering pool of more than 230 applicants, the seven companies entered into the inaugural Accelerator in August, where Code for America and its advisors provided mentorship, funding, and access to government agencies looking for a new way of doing things. Since that first class wrapped up in November, we have seen increasing demand for the tools they created and interest from investors, enough so that we just recently opened up applications for the 2013 cohort.
“Google’s been with us from the start, and we’re excited about their continued interest in transforming government by investing in a new generation of disruptive entrepreneurs. These startups are developing light-weight, flexible, affordable tools that help cities work better and are becoming the foundation of a new market for civic innovation. Google’s support in this effort is invaluable.”
– Jennifer Pahlka, our Founder and Executive Director.
Questions? Comments? Hit us up @codeforamerica.
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